Did You Know About This Cool Trick to Apply for a United Airlines Card?

Earning welcome offers and bonus points for travel rewards cards can sometimes be a bit mysterious. You don't always know exactly how many bonus points or bonus miles you will get -- some cards' bonus number might change based on when you apply or which browser window you have open. Credit card companies are always trying to calculate the right formula to attract customers to apply for cards.

But United Airlines is doing something interesting. Instead of just offering different amounts of bonus miles to different customers at different times, United has a special option for its United℠ Explorer Card. You can get extra bonus miles (if you qualify for the card) by asking a United Airlines employee for their special offer code.

I saw this special offer recently on a United Airlines sign at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, and I might try it myself. If you're thinking about applying for the United℠ Explorer Card, talk to a United employee first.

How many bonus miles can you get with the United℠ Explorer Card?

According to current details listed on the Chase and United MileagePlus® websites, the usual number of bonus miles that you can get with the United℠ Explorer Card is 50,000. (Terms apply -- you have to make $3,000 of qualifying purchases within 3 months of opening your card account.)

50,000 bonus miles is pretty good! You can use those miles to book a nearly-free flight (you can't use miles to pay for the full cost of the ticket; cash is required for taxes and fees). Depending on when and where you want to travel, you could use 50,000 miles to book an international flight on United or its Star Alliance partner airlines.

But what if you want more than 50,000 bonus miles? Here's how to get it.

Talk to a United Airlines employee, get 65,000 bonus miles

If you talk with a United Airlines agent on your next United flight, or at the gate, you can ask for a special code to use for your United℠ Explorer Card application. This code will earn you 65,000 bonus miles with your successful card application and qualifying purchases within the first 3 months.

I haven't tried this method yet myself, but I am strongly considering it. I've been thinking about applying for the United℠ Explorer Card as my first airline credit card, because it's part of the same product line as my Chase Trifecta. I'm a regular traveler on United Airlines (if not quite "frequent"), and I want to get more focused on using travel rewards credit cards to earn frequent flyer miles and get better deals (and experiences) as an airline customer.

Here are a few of the United℠ Explorer Card's parks that are most intriguing to me:

• Free checked bag
• Two free one-time passes per year to United Club lounges
• Up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
• Earn extra United MileagePlus® frequent flyer miles
• Use United Airlines miles to book flights on international partner airlines

These perks are a good deal, no matter how many bonus miles you get. (But also: I want those bonus miles!)

Bottom line

If you're already thinking about applying for the United℠ Explorer Card, one quick conversation with a friendly United Airlines employee could make this card an even sweeter deal. Airline credit cards can help you multiply your frequent flyer miles faster, so you can qualify for free upgrades and better deals on airfare. But even aside from the number of bonus miles with a one-time welcome offer, the United℠ Explorer Card can make your regular travel experiences on United Airlines a little more comfortable.